By Jelly F. Musico
MANILA, Feb. 12 (PNA) – Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) Chairman Mohagher Iqbal said on Thursday it would be unfair to immediately blame on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) the reported atrocities and brutality in the killing of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos in the Mamasapano encounter.
”The delicate task of finding out who did what, especially the reported atrocities, cannot immediately be blamed on the MILF. That would be unfair,” Iqbal said at the resumption of the Senate inquiry into the bloody encounter last Jan. 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Iqbal said the MILF was not the only group but there were also the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and other private armed groups present when the SAF conducted ‘Oplan Exodus’ to capture two high-profile terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir and Basit Usman.
”The SAF fought other armed individuals belonging to different networks and groups,” the BTC chairman told the joint Senate committees on public order and dangerous drugs, and peace, unification and reconciliation.
He denied allegation that the MILF and the BIFF are conniving with each other.
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, however, did not buy the claim of the MILF official.
”I submit this failure to convey vital information such as the presence of Marwan in their area is a subject of bad faith,” Santiago said.
Iqbal said the ‘unfortunate encounter’ resulted not only in the killing of 44 SAF commandos but also 18 MILF fighters.
”We must honor them by making sure that their sacrifice would not be in vain. While we cannot change the past, we can do something about the future,” Iqbal said.
Iqbal, however, has no mention how many have been killed on the part of the BIFF.
In the first Senate hearing, relieved SAF chief Gen. Getulio Napenas estimated that the groups that engaged the SAF in the bloody encounter suffered at least 250 casualties.
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Mujiv Hataman said among the casualties were three civilians, including an eight-year-old whose house is near the firefight.
Iqbal said the MILF has also been investigating the conduct of their men “to see if anyone violated the rules of conduct.”
”We thought that we had effective protocols and mechanisms in place that would prevent things like these from happening,” Iqbal said.
The BTC chief said that aside from their own investigation, the MILF is also pushing for a truly independent group similar to the Truth Commission being proposed in the Senate that would conduct ‘a fair and impartial investigation on the incident.’
During the hearing, Iqbal revealed that the MILF had rescued 28 SAF men who were part of the first team holed up in an area one kilometer northeast of Tukanalipao.
”They were already being fired upon by unidentified armed groups. The 28 SAF men are alive today because of the efforts of the MILF and finally, it is the will of God,” he said.
He also clarified that the MILF is against all forms of terrorism and in fact, have made solemn vow to fight terrorism in their areas.
”The MILF did not harbor Marwan and Usman. The MILF has no links with these terrorists and terrorist organizations. Marwan and Usman were in areas outside the MILF-controlled areas,” Iqbal said.
Iqbal said he has not seen a video showing a gruesome killing of a wounded SAF man but he described it as a monster act that was “more than a terrorist act.”
Iqbal also assured that the MILF is committed to peace which they have been advocating for the last 17 years.
”We signed the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Each of these agreements is a testament to our commitment to pursue our objectives through peaceful means,” he said.
He appealed to the lawmakers to help achieve the peace in Mindanao.
”We promised to our people that peace will be our legacy. We seek your help in making this promise possible. We cannot do it by ourselves. We seek you to help us live in peace. Let us be partners for peace,” Iqbal appealed.
Meanwhile, Iqbal said MILF chairman Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim is expressing his condolences to the families of the so-called fallen 44.
Iqbal clarified also that the MILF will no longer be a revolutionary movement once the BBL is finally passed into law by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
”Once the final peace has been achieved, the MILF will no longer be a revolutionary movement but a social movement,” Iqbal said. (PNA)